City Of West Hollywood Provides Green Light For Adult-Use Cannabis Sales

The City of West Hollywood has become one of the first cities in the state to permit Adult-Use Retail cannabis sales. The City of West Hollywood has issued Temporary Use Permits (TUPs) to four existing Medical-Use Dispensaries, which authorize Adult-Use Retail sales at their current locations on a temporary basis beginning on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. These are:

“West Hollywood has led the way in the national discussion about decriminalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes,” said West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman. “Now, our City is leading the way in supporting and authorizing adult-use of cannabis.”

People who wish to purchase Adult-Use cannabis must be at least 21 years old; people who wish to fulfill a Medical-Use prescription from a medical doctor must be at least 18 years old. Smoking, vaping, or ingesting cannabis is not permitted in public places. Landlords are permitted to forbid cannabis use on their property and tenants who require medicinal cannabis and have a prescription may ask landlords for reasonable accommodations under state law. Despite California law, Federal law still views cannabis as a controlled substance, even for medical use. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are provided on the City’s website at www.weho.org/cannabis.

In November 2017, the City Council of the City of West Hollywood approved an Ordinance to approve amendments to the municipal code and zoning ordinance to regulate cannabis business and land uses. This follows the passage in 2016 of California Prop. 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, and in 2017 of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. Throughout 2017, the City of West Hollywood engaged leading experts from California and Colorado and convened discussions to inform the development of public policy regarding cannabis businesses. The Ordinance allows for cannabis Business Licenses in five categories and makes the City of West Hollywood one of the only cities in the state authorizing business licenses for consumption areas, where cannabis can be purchased and consumed on-site.

The initial cannabis business screening application process will begin in late January 2018 with the publication of a screening application packet. The City will, then, accept applications for a 30-day period, to be specified in the packet. Inquiries regarding the application process may be emailed to cannabis@weho.org.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued an Advisory: “Drive Baked, Get Booked!” to remind the public that driving under the influence of marijuana is a crime and will bring the same result as driving under the influence of alcohol.

For more information regarding cannabis in the City of West Hollywood, please visit www.weho.org/cannabis.

For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6375. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Johnny Green is a cannabis activist from Oregon. Johnny has a bachelor's degree in public policy, and believes that the message should always be more important than the messenger. #LegalizeIt #FreeThePlant